


Paintbrush Surprises

by TMar



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 15:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16578941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: Richie comes to the dojo to find Duncan and Methos in bed together.





	Paintbrush Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in 1995, after "Chivalry" aired but before "The Messenger" did, so it could be considered AU after "Chivalry".
> 
> There's a lot of Richie because he's my favourite character in the Highlander TV series.

PAINTBRUSH SURPRISES

Richie rushed up to the door of the dojo; it was locked. Not a good sign  
this time of the morning. Luckily he had a key. He walked in, wondering  
if maybe Duncan had just forgotten to open the doors, but there was no  
one inside, and Duncan was still upstairs, Richie could feel the Buzz.

He had to tell Duncan that the building inspectors were coming around  
today. They hadn't been able to get through to, quote, "the proprietor,  
Mister MacLeod," so they had called "the manager, Mister Richard Ryan".

The elevator was locked. Richie sighed; he didn't have a key for  
that. Better take the stairs. Shaking his head, Richie headed for the  
loft. Ever since this Adam Pierson person had arrived, Duncan had been  
acting... different. Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a, well,  
*different* way. Richie couldn't put his finger on it. And he wondered,  
not for the first time, who Adam Pierson actually was. He and Duncan  
obviously knew each other well, but Duncan hadn't volunteered any  
information.

Usually Duncan told him where he had met his Immortal friends, how  
old they were, things like that. This time, nothing. All he had was a  
name and Duncan's muttered, "Research. He does research for a  
university." 'Well, that clears up that mystery,' thought Richie. 'Not.'

Richie had no doubt that the building would be up to spec, because  
Duncan was like that: things were always in order. But it wouldn't do  
for the inspectors to find the building locked up and the proprietor  
asleep when they arrived.

Richie knocked, but there was no answer. This was odd. Usually Duncan  
felt him coming - even if he was asleep, he usually woke up when he got  
the Buzz. Shrugging, Richie opened the door and walked in. "Mac?"

Well, this would be a first, him waking Duncan up. He remembered  
being rudely awoken by Duncan many times at the antique store, either to  
eat breakfast or make it. Duncan wasn't a big believer in sleeping late  
and had often lectured him on the importance of being awake first thing  
in the morning. Richie wasn't a morning person, so he smiled to himself  
to think that at last he had something to tease Duncan about.

But as he walked up to the sleeping area, he got the shock of his  
life. For Duncan was not alone. There, in a tangle of arms, legs and  
sheets, he saw... Duncan and... *Adam*?? "Oh my God!" Richie didn't know  
what to do. He couldn't leave because Duncan had to know about the  
building inspectors. But now he couldn't just wake Duncan up, either.

All he could do was stare. The scene before him looked somehow...  
blissful. Adam's hair was very short, but Duncan's was tousled enough  
for the both of them. Their heads were right next to each other, and Duncan's  
hair fell across Adam's face, though it didn't seem to bother him. As Richie  
watched, Duncan moved onto his side, and Adam just... followed, still asleep,  
so that he was lying against Duncan again. Something about it looked, well,  
right. Richie stood rooted to the spot, staring...

Suddenly he became aware that he was being stared at in return. He  
shook his head to clear it, and found Duncan looking at him. Duncan hadn't  
moved, but he was grinning that irritating grin he sometimes got on his face  
when Richie had done something silly but cute. Richie turned beet red and  
started to apologise. "I'm sorry, Mac, but those guys have to inspect the  
building today, they called me, I told them I'd come over and unlock the  
place, you weren't there, I'm really sorry..."

"Richie!" Duncan interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"Calm down."

"Sorry."

Then Adam's head came up from the pillow, pushing clumps of Duncan's hair  
out of the way. "What's going on?"

"It's just Richie," said Duncan, sitting up.

"Oh." Adam's head returned to the pillow. "Wake me up when it's  
something important... like breakfast."

Duncan smiled, shook his head, and grabbed his robe, slipping it on.  
"Come on, Rich."

They went to the kitchen area. "Now, try explaining that again, in  
complete sentences this time."

Richie still hadn't turned his head from the bed. "Uh..." He looked  
at Duncan. "The inspectors are doing the rounds of all the buildings on  
this block. Structural inspections or something. They'll be here at..."  
He looked at his watch. "At 9 a.m. They called me when they couldn't get  
through to you."

Duncan gave a small smile. "Yeah, M... Adam took the phone off the  
hook. Sorry."

Richie just looked uncomfortable, and Duncan's smile widened. He knew  
Richie was just dying to ask questions. "Whatever you want to ask, ask it,  
Rich."

"I'm sorry, Mac, I never thought that you..."

Duncan interrupted. "Neither did I. M... Adam is... I don't think I  
can explain, really. We just... we fit, you know?" He ran a hand over  
his face. "I feel... I dunno, *happy*. I haven't felt like that since...  
that day in the antique store when we were sitting there discussing the  
wedding. Remember, Rich?"

"Yeah." Richie did remember. He'd despaired of Duncan ever finding  
anyone who could make him that happy again. He'd hoped Anne would be the  
one, but she had turned out to be a huge disappointment. Oh, Duncan  
loved her, but it wasn't the kind of love he'd had with Tessa. Duncan  
had been so different then, he'd found joy in simply living. Richie  
supposed that if someone could make Duncan that happy again, it didn't  
really matter who it was. And he knew now that this was the reason for  
Duncan's odd behaviour. He was happy, he was enjoying life again.

"Say something, Rich."

"I'm happy for you, Mac. I really am. You deserve to be happy. If  
Adam can make you happy, then I'll be happy for you, too." And that was  
the truth. Richie's mind was still saying, "Duncan? Duncan and *Adam*?"  
but in his heart he really was glad.

"Thanks." 

They heard a noise, and Methos plunked himself into a chair  
near the kitchen area. "So, MacLeod, what's for breakfast?"

Duncan rolled his eyes and turned to Richie. "What's for breakfast, Rich?"

"You want me to make... Ah, geez." Richie smiled. "Okay, I had my  
turn to cook when I lived with you and Tessa, but this is too much!"

"I'm willing to bet you didn't eat before you came over here."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, eat. But we get to eat too."

Richie, shaking his head, went to the refrigerator to see if anything  
in there was edible.

***

Duncan came out of the bathroom dressed very snappily. "Is the food  
ready yet?"

"Yeah. Here." Richie handed him a plate, noticing the clothing change and  
approving. Here was more proof that Duncan was no longer depressed.

Methos had almost finished his food already. Duncan shook his head.  
"First you drink all my beer, now you eat all my food."

Methos grinned. "Live, grow stronger. Food is important in that  
progression you know."

Duncan said nothing but started eating. At least Richie was a decent  
cook.

***

The inspectors had shown up at nine, as promised. Duncan went downstairs  
to see them, which gave Richie a chance to talk to Methos... something  
that was blindingly obvious to Methos, who suppressed a grin. The young  
ones were always so transparent. "So, what do you want to ask me?"  
Methos questioned Richie first.

Richie didn't pretend he hadn't been wanting to ask. "How did you and  
Mac meet? He never told me."

Methos went for the truth. "We met in Paris. MacLeod saved me from Kalas."

"Kalas wanted to kill you?"

"Yeah. And I was there when MacLeod killed Kalas."

"So you're not some old friend like Darius or something."

"No." Methos smiled, just a little.

"What made you... I mean, how did... I mean..." Richie didn't quite know  
how to ask his question.

Methos saved him the trouble by cutting to the point. "What led up to  
what you saw this morning?"

"Well, yeah."

"As you get older you'll understand, Richie. Some things are meant to  
be a certain way. MacLeod and I... We just knew. We were painting the  
house, and... Well, one thing led to another."

"Er, yeah."

Methos smiled, Richie had turned a lovely shade of pink again.  
"There's no need to be embarrassed, Richie. Things just *are* the way  
they are."

"I guess."

Methos full-out grinned, thinking back to the day before.

***

"I still say you should have gotten a professional to do this," Methos  
admonished Duncan for about the fourth time.

"Is this how it's always going to be?" Duncan asked him. "You telling  
me what to do?"

"I'll try not to, if you promise to listen when I do tell you things."

"Too easy, Methos."

"Yeah, all right." Methos stepped back, away from Duncan.

"What?"

"I don't want you to start painting me again."

"You mean like this?" Duncan stepped forward and painted the side of  
Methos' face a lovely shade of beige. Methos merely looked at him for a  
minute, and then calmly ran his paintbrush down the front of Duncan's  
shirt. Duncan was shocked. "This is my favourite shirt!"

"This is my favourite face!" countered Methos.

Duncan began to unbutton the shirt. "At least I can take it off." He  
threw it aside. "Can we carry on actually getting some work done now?"

"No." Methos calmly painted a stripe across Duncan's right shoulder instead.

"Methos!"

"You started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

They stared at each other crossly for one more second, and then  
collapsed laughing, back to back, paintbrushes still in hand. When he  
could finally get a breath again, Methos turned round and said to  
Duncan, "If only Joe could see this. A five thousand year-old man  
arguing like a five year-old."

Duncan smiled. "Yeah, he'd think it was pretty funny."

Their faces were mere inches apart, as they grinned at one another.  
Then something changed, and the grins vanished as they stared into one  
another's eyes. And one or the other of them closed the gap between  
them, and their lips met.

Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, former highland barbarian, didn't  
know what to do. All at once, he found himself intrigued, fascinated and...  
liking it. He closed his eyes, letting it happen.

And then he more than liked it, he felt... He wasn't sure, but he didn't  
want this to end.

Methos' paintbrush had long ago landed on the wooden floorboards of the  
porch, making beige marks. Duncan's joined it as he put his arms around  
Methos and kissed him back, opening his mouth, taking all that he could  
from the kiss.

Methos could hardly believe that he was being kissed as thoroughly as he  
had wanted to be kissed, and as he had wanted to kiss Duncan. Talk about  
tingling in places you didn't know you had! He had lived five thousand years,  
and never before had he met someone quite like this. He knew he probably  
never would again.

It seemed an eternity before the kiss ended, and they parted. Duncan's  
face had the 'I can't believe this, this isn't happening' look on it, but  
his breathing betrayed him. Despite the things he felt, Duncan tried to  
push it away, to gain equilibrium. He got up, seeing the look on Methos'  
face, the 'I know more than you do' smile. And the rise and fall if his  
chest, which showed he had been affected in exactly the same way.

Duncan had to salvage the situation anyway, before... "I... I don't think  
that should have happened." He picked up the paintbrushes, frowning at the  
marks. "I'm gonna have to clean that. Damn."

Methos stood as well, knowing what the highlander was trying to do. He  
wasn't going to let him. "Forget the house. Look at me."

Duncan looked at him. 

"Duncan, I've lived five thousand years, and I've seen a lot. Many places   
I've been to had people who didn't care who slept with whom, or why. But   
that isn't what's happening here. It's more than that and you know it."

Duncan knew he had to stop this conversation now, or he'd be caught  
in Methos' logic. He refused to admit to himself that that was what he  
wanted. "Please, Methos..." He turned away, but Methos grabbed his arm,  
placing one hand over his heart. 

"Tell me that kiss meant nothing, tell me that if I leave here and return to   
Paris, you won't care. Tell me that, and I'll never mention the topic again.   
In fact I'll be on the next plane back to France. Just say the words."

Duncan looked down at the hand on his chest. There was electricity in  
that touch, almost as if the Quickening were arcing between them. He  
wanted to be touched... *He* wanted to touch... No. It was too much.  
Duncan pulled himself from Methos' grasp, looking away.

"Tell me, MacLeod."

Duncan still couldn't look at him. "You know I can't."

Methos stood in front of Duncan, not touching him this time but forcing  
the highlander to look at him again. "And why not?"

"Because it would be a lie." Duncan looked him in the eye. The feelings  
there were plain to see.

"Yes, it would, and we both know it. I can see it in your eyes. So what  
are you doing this for?"

"I don't know if... I don't..." Duncan's shoulders slumped. "I don't know."

"Nothing will change who you are, MacLeod. You must know that."

"I know that." Duncan finally admitted his reason, to himself and Methos.  
"I'm afraid. I'm afraid of my feelings for you. I'm afraid that this  
isn't..." How could he say 'this isn't right'? Was he truly that  
old-fashioned? But then he saw that was not the issue after all. There was  
only one thing he was truly afraid of. "I'm afraid of getting that close.  
It hurts too much."

Methos' relief at Duncan's words - that Duncan hadn't said something else  
\- was evident in his eyes. "What hurts?"

Duncan had been holding onto the paintbrushes for dear life all through  
the conversation, almost as a shield. Now he slammed them onto the newspaper.  
"Don't you understand! The last time I felt anything like this was with  
Tessa. Her death nearly destroyed me!"

Methos tried to speak, but Duncan cut him off. "That's not all. You're  
*Immortal*. Do you know how many friends I've had to kill? If anything  
happens between us..." He stopped. He didn't want to say what was constantly in his   
thoughts. But Methos knew. "You think that someday you might have to kill me."

Duncan nodded. "I don't know if I can go through that pain again. I don't  
want to be that close, to feel the kind of pain that killing you would bring me."

Methos smiled tolerantly. "I've lived five thousand years, MacLeod. I'm  
not going to go off the deep end any time soon. And I will not let you get  
hurt again. I promise I will not let that happen to you ever again."

Duncan looked into Methos' eyes, seeing the truth there. And he realised  
something - Methos loved him that much! The only person who had ever loved  
him with that all-encompassing love had been Tessa. And the twelve years he  
had had with her had been worth all the pain. Something inside Duncan opened,  
and he let the feeling come. Love was worth it. Duncan looked into Methos'  
eyes, nodding. "Let's go back to the dojo and clean up." His tone indicated  
that would not be all. Because now that the fear was gone, other feelings  
could take over. He wanted this. He wanted *him*.

Methos could see it in Duncan's eyes. "Lead on, MacLeod-san."

***

Methos and Richie felt the Buzz as Duncan returned. "So, Mac?"

"Everything's fine."

"I knew it would be," smiled Richie. He got up from where he'd been  
sitting, at the counter. "Look, I'd better go."

"You don't have to, Rich."

Richie looked from Methos - Adam, he thought - to Duncan. The multitude  
of things going on in their looks couldn't be denied, and Rich felt like a  
definite third wheel. "Yeah, I do. I'll go downstairs and see what magic I  
can work with those accounts of yours. You know, you really should  
advertise, Mac. Get some new equipment, put some mirrors in. Attract people  
who want to exercise."

Duncan made a face. "This dojo is for serious martial artists, Rich, not  
aerobics!"

Richie, shaking his head, pulled down the elevator gate. "I'll catch you later."

When he heard the elevator stop, Duncan turned to Methos. "So, what did  
you two talk about?"

"Well, I think we gave him quite a shock this morning."

Duncan smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess we would have."

"He asked me how you and I met. I told him about Kalas."

"You didn't tell him who you really were, did you?"

"Nah. The less people who know about that, the better."

Duncan nodded. "So, what shall we do for the rest of the day?"

Methos managed an innocent look. "We could always go and finish painting  
the house..." Then he gave it away by grinning.

"You wasted half my paint!" Duncan told him.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

They started laughing again, then Duncan caught his breath and said,  
"Well, I really do have to finish renovating that house sometime this century."

"What's the hurry?" Methos casually began to unbutton Duncan's shirt.

"Well... I guess I'm not in *that* much of a hurry..."

***

When Richie came in later to tell Duncan that he was finished for the day,  
he found the same scene he had that morning. But this time he tiptoed away,  
smiling.

THE END


End file.
